Former FSU Star Dominates In Debut With AFL's Jacksonville Sharks
There are multiple ways for football stars to forge careers outside of the NFL in this age of the sport. Startup leagues such as the XFL and USFL have earned a lot of attention over the last couple of months during their respective seasons. Those are just two of the multiple paths for players to display their talents.
Former Florida State star wide receiver Tamorrion Terry signed with the AFL's Jacksonville Sharks at the end of April. The Arena Football League's third iteration returned to action last month after it shut down back in 2019. There are seven teams in the league that will each play a 14-game regular-season.
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Terry made his debut during Jacksonville's home game against the Albany Empire on Saturday. He didn't appear to be shaking off any rust as Terry recorded four catches for 97 yards and three receiving touchdowns. His three scores were the most of any player in the game as he displayed the dominance fans became accustomed to in Tallahassee.
The highlights included an impressive open field touchdown where he hurdled one defender and stiff-armed another before scampering into the end zone.
This is believed to be his first opportunity to play professional football since he signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021. Terry was released in June of that year after being indicted on felony murder charges by a grand jury. The charges were ultimately dropped in August of last year, paving the way for his return to the gridiron.
The Georgia native spent four years in Tallahassee during a tumultuous time for the program. During his tenure, he ended up playing for three different head coaches; Jimbo Fisher (2017), Willie Taggart (2018-19), and Mike Norvell (2020). Terry signed with Florida State as an under-the-radar recruit of out of the Peach State alongside Turner County High School teammate Ontaria Wilson.
After redshirting in 2017, Terry developed into a big-play threat in Taggart's offense. He was named honorable mention All-ACC after breaking Florida State's freshman receiving record with 35 catches for 744 yards and eight touchdowns. Terry followed that up with a 2019 campaign where he caught 60 passes for 1,188 yards and nine touchdowns.
Things didn't go as planned when he surprised everyone by returning to Florida State for a fourth year under yet another new head coach in 2020. Terry finished with 23 catches for 289 yards and one touchdown while averaging a career-low 12.6 yards per reception. Nine of the catches and 146 of the yards came against Notre Dame. He ended up departing from the team prior to the conclusion of the regular season.
Regardless, Terry is ranked No. 10 in program history for receiving yards and tied for No. 13 for receiving touchdowns. He holds the Florida State record with five 70+ yard receiving touchdowns. His average of 49 yards per touchdown catch was the second-highest among NCAA receivers with at least 15 touchdowns over the past decade and Terry's nine 50+ yard touchdowns are tied for the second-highest total in the ACC over the last 15 years, according to FSU Sports Info.
Fellow former Florida State wide receiver Nyqwan Murray is playing in the AFL for the Carolina Cobras. Murray and Terry were teammates with the Seminoles for two seasons.
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